Polk's Business People: Ronni Wood, Executive Director at Haines City Main Street Inc.

Monday

Sep 10, 2012 at 11:37 PM

Ronni Wood, executive director of Haines City Main Street Inc., is one of the driving forces behind revitalizing Haines City's downtown. Part of the plan has been to relocate the Haines City Public Library and City Hall to the heart of downtown, near Main Street and Sixth Street. Currently, both are running out of space and need new homes.

By CAMILLE THOMASLEDGER CORESPONDENT

Ronni Wood, executive director of Haines City Main Street Inc., is one of the driving forces behind revitalizing Haines City's downtown.

Part of the plan has been to relocate the Haines City Public Library and City Hall to the heart of downtown, near Main Street and Sixth Street. Currently, both are running out of space and need new homes.

The new two-story, 20,000-square-foot City Hall will replace the current 13,000-square-foot building and will be connected with the new 20,800-square-foot library that replaces the current 9,000 square-foot library.

Below, Wood shares new and upcoming projects and how Legoland is playing a part in Haines City's future.

Q. What can people expect from the new library complex that they have not seen before? What new features will there be at City Hall?

A. From my perspective as the executive director, relocating the library and City Hall to downtown will create an incredible synergy that the downtown has not experienced in decades. Like all downtowns, Haines City's was once the commercial heart of the community. Over the past couple of decades, businesses started relocating to Highway 27 and Highway 17-92, including large traffic generators, such as banks and the post office.

For years, there has been no major anchor that draws people to our downtown, but all that is changing with the new library and City Hall. The Haines City Library on an average has 8,000 visitors a month. Imagine what that will mean to our downtown! I am already getting phone calls from prospective investors and businesses interested in our downtown.

Q. What other projects is Haines City Main Street working on?

A. As previously mentioned, we are already seeing renewed interest in the downtown. I recently showed a couple of downtown buildings to a prospective investor who a year ago was looking to locate his business in a strip center on Highway 27.

Also, starting in January 2013, Haines City Main Street will kick off two new monthly events. "Lunch on the Plaza" will be held once a month on a Wednesday. It will be held in the new civic plaza, highlighting music and brown bag specials from downtown restaurants. "Rally in the Alley," a monthly Friday evening event, featuring vendors and musical entertainment, will also be held in the new civic plaza.

Q. What kinds of historical restorations are being made?

A. Main Street is working with a couple of property owners in restoring their buildings. These are historic buildings that need paint, canopy, and signage and some structural improvements. The foundation of a Main Street program is historic preservation — building on the community's assets and historical character.

Haines City Main Street is thrilled to announce that we were just notified by Wells Fargo Bank that we are the recipient of a $10,000 grant. The Wells Fargo grant money will be used exclusively for the downtown Fašade Grant Program. What this entails is any downtown building that meets the criteria will be eligible for a 50/50 match to restore their building.

Q. How has the opening of Legoland influenced Haines City?

A. Legoland has definitely had a positive impact on Haines City, especially with those businesses located on Highway 27. The City of Haines City and the Haines City EDC (Economic Development Council) is actively working on recruiting a hotel and major chain restaurant to Haines City.

Q. Have you been to Legoland? What was your impression?

A. Yes, I went to Legoland last year with my three grandchildren, whose ages range from 3 to 10. Legoland certainly knows their target market. My grandchildren had an incredible time and especially loved the hands-on activities.

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